If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Please note that posts from new users are now moderated. If you have just joined this forum and post a new message it will be held in the moderation queue until a member of staff approves it. Please be patient and our staff will review your submission as soon as possible.

grading tests

Hi there,
I am to grade / comment on my students' homework by adding telling lines such as " excellent", " good job" , "try harder next time" , "this is a disaster" ....
now what would I say/write instead of a simple and rather dull "fair" / "mediocre at best"?
thanks in advance.

Re: grading tests

Originally Posted by beascarpetta

Hi there,
I am to grade / comment on my students' homework by adding telling lines such as " excellent", " good job" , "try harder next time" , "this is a disaster" ....
now what would I say/write instead of a simple and rather dull "fair" / "mediocre at best"?
thanks in advance.

Personally, I would never write "try harder next time", "this is a disaster", "mediocre at best" or any other negative comment like that. It is hardly a word of encouragement to a student who is not doing well.

I would point out something I liked and suggest areas of improvement. Even excellent papers can use constructive criticism.

Re: grading tests

Originally Posted by Naamplao

Personally, I would never write "try harder next time", "this is a disaster", "mediocre at best" or any other negative comment like that. It is hardly a word of encouragement to a student who is not doing well.

I would point out something I liked and suggest areas of improvement. Even excellent papers can use constructive criticism.

Thank you very much for your constructive comments.

I'm afraid I forgot to mention that I have to keep my comments quite short since I've got about 100-150 longish assignments per week to correct/hand back.
Yet, I do realize that for avid students who want to improve their English my terse statements simply won't do.
On the other hand, I'll have to think about some way of being quite clear to students who haven't got down to working yet.
Thanks again.

Re: grading tests

Originally Posted by Naamplao

You find that, being negative to such students, makes them want to do better????

I think one has to be very careful there, but I do not mind "being negative",as you put it, to those students who do not bother to get down to working even after I've corrected/suggested rephrasing,etc. their assignments several times in a row. And yes, there are quite a few of them who do start working once they ' ve realized you are not prepared to put up with what they hand in indefinitely.
Maybe,your students are different in so far as they are eager to learn,willing,etc.
The students I teach do not have to pay a dime for their education up to eighteen and unfortunately,some of them do not really want to go to school.It's their parents who make them turn up every morning.